Bjørn Frank Jensen

Bjørn

(26 January 1920, Denmark - 30 September 2001, The Netherlands)

Nop

Bjørn Frank Jensen was a Danish animator and cartoonist. He has worked on Danish animation projects since the late 1930s, as a member of Jørgen Müller's animation studio at Gutenberghus Reklame Film in Copenhagen. Jensen was additionally doing illustration work and some cartooning in the 1940s, including the adventure comic 'De gæve Riddere' (1943) and the silent gag strip 'Lille Mille' (1944) in Højt Humør. His most notable work was however his contributions to the animation projects 'Fyrtøjet' ('The Tinderbox') and 'Grævlingen og harerne'.

Lille Mille

He went to study under David Hand at the Gaumont British Animation (GBA) in London for a half year in 1946. He opened his own animation studio with Børge Ring in the Hiort Lorentzensgade in Copenhagen in 1948. Together with Arne Rønde Christensen they eventually started their firm Ring, Frank & Rønde. The studios made several animations for advertising purposes, but had to close down in 1950-51. During this period, Jensen also drew a comic strip about 'Odysseus' in commission of Pommus.

Odysseus

Jensen and Ring headed for Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in the following year, where they found employment with the Marten Toonder Studios. The duo formed the core of the animation department together with their compatriot Per Lygum. Jensen remained with the studio until his retirement in 1985 and was animation director of the famous 'Bommel' film 'Als Je Begrijpt Wat Ik Bedoel' (1983). He also contributed to other films, including 'The Smurfs and the Magic Flute' (1976) and 'Asterix and Cleopatra' (1968).

Li'l Bad Wolf (Donald Duck 11, 1966)

In addition to his animation work, he drew the short-lived comic strip 'Nop' in the magazine Pep (1972-73). He also drew about a dozen 'Big Bad Wolf' stories that the Toonder Studios produced for the Dutch Donald Duck weekly in 1965 and 1966. Another comic strip by Jensen was a promo-strip starring 'Tico Tac' for Boni Records' 'Woodpeckers from space' single by Videokids in 1985. Jensen had also done the animation for the videoclip in cooperation with Frits Godhelp. Jensen passed away in Hilversum in September 2001.